Principal’s Message:
Hello Golden Owls,
We hope your child/ren have had a wonderful first day of school. Our staff was excited to welcome all of our families back to campus.
I am thrilled to announce that this year as part of MVWSD #BetterTogether initiative, the theme this year is community. As we start the school year, classroom teachers will be learning about how our classroom and school are a community. Later in October, we will be expanding the conversation to discuss family and other home-based communities. As we go through the year, we will also be discussing cultural diversity in communities, how we can help our community, and finally celebrating our communities.
As part of building a strong community, it is important to support everyone in understanding the expectations for how we want to exist in our communities. This week we are reacquainting students back to campus. Our teachers are training our students how we want them to interact while on campus. We are asking that all students follow the Vargas Way by being responsible, showing respect, being safe, and being an upstander. When students demonstrate these traits, students are able to earn Golden Tickets. Golden Ticket winners will be announced on our Thursday Morning assemblies.
Once again, I am looking forward to a wonderful school year and growing our community. With that, Jose Antonio Vargas PTA and I would like to invite you and your family to our beginning of the school year ice cream social next Thursday at dismissal. I wanted to shout out the Vargas PTA for organizing this event. If you have not already done so, please consider joining the Jose Antonio Vargas PTA. Membership allows you to be the most informed when it comes to school events, volunteering opportunities and other ways to help your child’s school become the best it can be. You can join by visiting www.jointotem.com/ca/mountain-view/jose-antonio-vargas-pta. Anyone can be a member of the PTA! This means not only parents/guardians but aunts, uncles, and grandparents can also become a member for only $10 a year! Our PTA does so much to support our school and your joining, would support them in reaching their goals for our Golden Owls.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
August
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22nd
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PTA Sponsored Ice Cream Social - 12pm - 1pm
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22nd
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
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23rd
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Principal’s Coffee - In Person- 8:10am, MUR
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28th
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Minimum Day, Dismissal at 11:55am
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28th
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Back to School Night - 6pm - 8pm
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September
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2nd
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Labor Day Holiday - No School
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5th
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
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6th
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Superintendent Community Check In ,3:30pm Register Here
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9th
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Picture Day - Lifetouch
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13th
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Vargas Movie Night, 6:45pm - Vargas Field
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In this Newsletter
School News:
Bell Schedule
Drop off and Pick up Procedures
Looking for an afterschool program? Read on to see if your child qualifies for MVWSD+!
Reporting an Absence
Medication Forms
School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form
Transportation
Stay in touch
No MVWSD+ Afterschool Programs on Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Flyers:
2024 -2025 School Year Calendar - Here
August Menu Here
District News:
CAASPP scores are now available
Applying to be a school volunteer this year? Training and help sessions happen this month
School meals are free, but fill out the EzSchool Meals application to help you and your school
Notice: National School Lunch / School Breakfast Programs
Sown to Grow
Welcome from MVEF and Why MVEF Matters
PTA News:
Save the Date!! - Details to come
Hello Golden Owls!
Konstella
Afterschool Enrichment Classes
PTA Board and Committee Positions
Membership
Spirit Wear
Website
Community Partners
NW SELPA Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Meeting - Flyer
School News
Bell Schedules and Schools’ Start/End Times
Please click here to view our school’s updated schedule for the 2024-25 school year. Please note that Thursdays end early at all elementary school sites, and last days of trimesters are minimum days during the 2023-24 school year.
Drop Off and Pick-up Procedures:
Morning Drop off - Vehicle Drop
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School starts at 8:00am - Drop off starts at 7:45am
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Drop off time begins 15 minutes before the school day (7:45)
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Parents/guardians or other individuals dropping off or picking up children should remain in their vehicles to the extent possible.
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Students will walk to their morning Pickup location.
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Parents/guardians should drop off their child(ren) at the main entrance.
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Adults should stay inside the vehicle. *If a student needs help getting out of a car seat/seat belt, please do so quickly. Have all materials (lunch, backpacks, etc) ready to go for easy drop-off.
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Staff will guide students to walk to the basketball courts and stand by the cone of their classroom number.
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Please leave campus immediately after drop off to allow for flow of traffic.
Pedestrian Drop-Off:
Drop off time begins 15 minutes before the school day (7:45AM)
We recommend parents/guardians drop off their child(ren) at the main front gate entrance.
Students will walk to their morning location.
**If your child is allowed to walk or bike to and from school, parents MUST email our front office staff giving authorization. Please email our school clerk, Ms. Silvia McElyea [email protected].
Commuting to school safely
It's critically important for children's safety that you take time now before the start of the school year to plan their route, tune up their wheels and talk with them about road safety. If your child is walking or biking to school, please review our walking and biking safety webpage.
Dismissal:
Kinder Dismissal at 1:30pm: - Map designations here
For parents who are walking onto campus
Parents will remain in the kinder waiting area
Teacher will dismiss students from the classroom
Parents/guardians who walk should leave campus as quickly as possible because other students are still learning on campus
For Parents who are picking up by vehicle
Parents/guardians or other individuals picking up children in their car should remain in their vehicles to the extent possible.
Teacher and Front Office Staff will help students connect to their vehicle/parents/guardians.
1st to 3rd grade Dismissal at 2:35pm - 4th to 5th grade Dismissal at 2:40pm:
Parents may arrive at 2:35pm and walk through the main gate and wait in the gray area
Any student not picked up by 2:45pm from gray area will walk out to their vehicle
Front Office Staff will help students connect to their vehicle.
Parents/guardians or other individuals picking up children should remain in their vehicles to the extent possible.
Students attending YMCA or Right At School: Staff members will pick up students from their classrooms.
Looking for an afterschool program? Read on to see if your child qualifies for MVWSD+!
A student qualifies for the free MVWSD+ afterschool program if one or both of the following conditions are true:
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The student is an English Learner (EL). EL status is established via the results of the Initial ELPAC exam, which is being administered to certain students in August and September. Results are usually available within two weeks of the completion of testing. If you have questions about the Initial ELPAC exam, please contact Leticia Corcoran at [email protected].
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The student qualifies for free or reduced price lunches based on federal income guidelines. At this time, lunch for all children is free, but this may not always be the case. To fill out the application for free or reduced lunch, please go to ezmealapp.com. Qualifying students’ data is collected at the state level and usually appears in the district’s data system within two weeks. If you have questions, please contact your school office.
Soon after a student’s EL or Free/Reduced Lunch Status changes to indicate he/she qualifies for MVWSD+, you will receive an email from the MVWSD+ Team inviting your child to enroll.
For questions or troubleshooting, please reach out to [email protected] or Jennifer Nunez at (650) 526-3500 x1061.
Reporting an Absence
Please call the office at (650) 903-6952 or email [email protected] to report an absence or late arrival. Provide the following information: date of absence, student’s name, grade and room number, reason for absence, name and relationship of the person reporting the absence.
Medication Forms
If your child requires medication to be kept at school, please email Ms. Evelyn Antunez at [email protected], and/or Ms. Silvia McElyea [email protected] to be emailed medication release forms during our first week of school and return ASAP (we cannot administer any medication without the form). Please note that all medication, even over the counter ones, need a medication form signed by your doctor.
School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form
We will be furnishing all basic school supplies and textbooks for all students. Donations of items and funds for this purpose are appreciated, but not required. For those able to donate, please fill out this form and bring it to the front office, along with your donation, and our front office staff will provide you with a receipt.
Transportation
The Mountain View Whisman School District Transportation Department provides transportation for students who are residents of Moffett and students with disabilities who are eligible for this service. For more information, and to apply for a bus pass, please visit this web page.
Stay in touch
Please take a moment and follow our district and school social media accounts. Staying in touch with us on social media will keep you in the loop on important happenings, as well as provide a critical line of communication during emergencies.
Click on the account links below and like or follow to stay in touch!
Mountain View Whisman School District - Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo
Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary - Facebook, Instagram
No MVWSD+ Afterschool Programs on Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Due to preparations for Elementary School Back to School Night and afterschool staff development, there will be no MVWSD+ Afterschool Programs on Wednesday, August 28 (a minimum day for students). MVWSD+ families, thank you in advance for making other arrangements. This affects all Right At School programs, all Beyond the Bell programs, and the district-paid YMCA programs. Please note that due to contractual reasons, parent-paid YMCA programs will still operate. All programs resume as normal on Thursday, August 29.
For more information, please contact [email protected] or call (650) 526-3500 x1061.
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District News
CAASPP scores are now available
CAASPP student (ELA, Math) score reports (from the Spring tests, current 4th- through 8th-graders) were recently released by the state and are now available for parents on the PowerSchool Parent Portal (under “Score Reports” - choose the 2023 - 24 school year). To learn more about how to understand your child’s CAASPP score report, go to the Starting Smarter website at https://www.ca.startingsmarter.org/. If you need assistance with logging on to the Powerschool Parent Portal, please contact your student’s school office.
Applying to be a school volunteer this year? Training and help sessions happen this month
We appreciate our parent volunteers! Please check your inbox (email dated Aug. 5) for important information about mandated training and optional volunteer help sessions coming up in the next two weeks. For an overview of the process, please visit https://www.mvwsd.org/volunteers.
School meals are free, but fill out the EzSchool Meals application to help you and your school
MVWSD will continue to provide free meals this year to all students as part of California’s universal meal program.
However, parents need to reapply for the Free and Reduced Price Meals program now for this school year. If you think you could qualify (qualifying income levels listed here), we ask you to apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD receive additional funding to support students who are in need, and may help your family. If your child is eligible for free and/or reduced-price meals, your family could get medical benefits, housing benefits, utilities benefits and more. Qualifying is one factor in your child’s eligibility for free MVWSD after school care and summer camp.
The more applications your school gathers at the start of each school year, the more additional funding it can receive for all kinds of programs. If you are currently out of work, you may qualify and help your school, regardless of your financial situation. Apply at https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ or call your school office.
Notice: National School Lunch / School Breakfast Programs
The Mountain View Whisman School District announces its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch / School Breakfast Programs for the 2024-25 school year.
All students will be served breakfast and lunch at no charge through the California Universal Meal Program, part of the National School Lunch Program.
For additional information please contact: Deborah Austin, Director of Food Service, 1701 Rock St., Mountain View, CA 94043, 650.903.6965, [email protected].
While the program will offer free Universal Meals for all students, households will continue to be able to complete an application for free and reduced-price meals, which may support the school district’s local education funding and could also qualify the family for additional benefits. Click here for free and reduced price eligibility guidelines and for more information on applying.
Non Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866-632-9992.
Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
(2) Fax: 202-690-7442
(3) E-mail: [email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Sown to Grow
MVWSD is again partnering with Sown to Grow for the 2024-25 school year. Sown to Grow is a platform designed to promote safe and supportive classrooms through activities that help students develop self-awareness, set goals, and develop essential social and emotional skills.
Each week, students in Grades K-5 complete a simple check-in that lets them share how they are feeling. Students in Grades 3-5 also respond to a brief written prompt that encourages reflection on friendships, community, and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers, principals, and counselors see real-time reporting on students’ emotions and can proactively reach out to support students’ needs. Finally, students in Grades 1-8 complete a brief SEL survey in the Fall and Spring. Please feel free to contact your student’s principal with any additional questions about the program.
Welcome from MVEF and Why MVEF Matters
The Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF) welcomes all families to the 2024-25 school year! Thanks to support from parents like YOU, MVEF provides your child with a competitive, well-rounded education. MVEF is a volunteer-driven non-profit dedicated to funding innovative programs for all students in the MVWSD district.
School funding covers salaries, facilities, and core academics, while MVEF funding enhances the learning environment with art, music, environmental science, middle school athletics, and additional English teachers in middle school, reducing class sizes by over 20%. To maintain these programs, MVEF seeks donations from parents and community members. The suggested amount per student this school year is $1,100, per student, also payable as a recurring monthly payment, but every donation is meaningful. All donations are tax-deductible. Visit mvef.org for more information and to donate. Thank you for your support!
PTA News
Save the Date!! - Details to come
Kimberly Cheng, and the Executive Board
[email protected]
Hello Golden Owls!
The JA Vargas PTA wants to welcome you back to school! If you are new to our school and are wondering what the PTA is, a quick synopsis is that we are a non-profit organization made up of parent and teacher volunteers that helps to support student enrichment and community engagement at our school. To support these goals we raise money through membership, donations and fundraisers. The funds we raised are spent directly at our school on enrichment programs, assemblies, field trips, school-wide events, and more! In the coming weeks you will be hearing from us at back to school events, principal's coffee, etc. Below are some links on how to get started.
Konstella
Want to hear about the school-wise events planned by the PTA? Konstella is a free app/website– you do not have to be a member to join. The PTA will post information about meetings, events and volunteer opportunities. You will also be able to communicate with other families from your child's classroom.
To Join a Classroom
Web: Click your name at the top left corner. Click “Your Children” to add/modify your children.
Mobile App: Click the Settings icon at the top left corner. Click “Your Children”. Membership
Afterschool Enrichment Classes
The PTA has teamed up to bring a variety of after school classes this Fall. Check out the list here: https://www.javargaspta.org/after-school-programs
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NEW this year: Bay Area Chess, Coding programs, Animation, in addition to Science, BrickTech, Basketball, Run for Fun, Coach Ken Soccer, and The Green Room.
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Sign up quickly as spots are limited. Programs that don’t meet enrollment minimums are subject to cancellation.
PTA Board and Committee Positions
We need your help more than ever! We have an opening on the Exec Board for Room Parent Coordinator in addition to many non-board roles. There are a variety of roles requiring help: some in-person, some on-going, and some time-limited. We especially need volunteers for planning events and our big Walkathon fundraiser! If you can help us, whether for a couple hours or throughout the year, please fill out this interest form or email [email protected].
Membership
Joining the PTA helps our organization to support our Vargas students, teachers and families and builds parents' connection to their school community. https://jointotem.com/ca/mountain-view/jose-antonio-vargas-pta
Spirit Wear
Mondays are spirit days at JA Vargas; wear green and show your school spirit. Check out our selection of green spirit wear. Place your order online and pick it up on designated days at the office.
https://www.javargaspta.org/ja-vargas-store
Website
Find links to membership, Konstella, gear shop and volunteer opportunities on our website.
From Our Community Partners
NW SELPA Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Meeting - Flyer
Parent and community voices are needed in Special Education! Come join our first official meeting on Aug. 27 at 9:00 am as the Santa Clara North West SELPA CAC. Register here to receive Zoom link. For more information, contact: [email protected] and [email protected].